The entire smoking population would empathize with Mark Twain when he once said - “Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times.” In fact, scientists have revealed that cigarettes are possibly more addictive than alcohol and even heroin! It is no big revelation that smoking causes lung cancer and several diseases that eventually lead to death. However, despite innumerable warnings on cigarette packs, advertisements and newspapers, smokers just never think of snubbing the butt! Many believe that smoking offers more psychological pleasure than physiological gratification. Smokers complain of getting nicotine rush from smoking and suffer from terrible withdrawal symptoms on every attempt to quit. They break the habit only to get sucked into it all over again, most of the times, with double the craving! Thus, it can be said that smoking is one of those vices to have passed on for centuries and centuries now. No doubt, awareness has brought down the number of smokers over the years, but it continues to be a looming threat till date, thanks to a large population of troubled souls who just cannot give up! This brings us to one obvious question - why do people smoke in the first place. Read this article to find the answer.
Reasons People Smoke
Peer Pressure
They say that there aren’t many people who start smoking after the age of 18. This leaves us with one palpable implication. Peer pressure is indeed a major trap that lures an unfathomable amount of teenagers into the social gaffe that is smoking! Either they light a cigarette just to fit into the cooler crowd or to get noticed. Those with low self-esteem try to renovate their image by adding a cancer stick to their hand. Besides, health is not much of a priority for a teenager, unless he/she plans on making it big as a professional player. Nonetheless, peer pressure doesn’t occur only in schools and colleges, but also in office environments. Many a times, people who had not tried lighting a butt in their early years of life become chain smokers by the time they reach 30, all thanks to the office environment and bad company.
Cure For Stress & Boredom
A cigarette contains over two thousand toxic compounds! According to many, the combination is oh-so-good! It relaxes them, de-stresses them. Almost every smoker heaves a deep sigh of relief along with a large puff of smoke emanating from his/her lips. For some, it calms their nerves, while for others, it pumps up their confidence. The moment we inhale the smoke through our lungs, the nicotine gets absorbed into our bloodstream and reaches our brain in about ten seconds! The positive effects are reduced irritability, enhanced sense of control and improved confidence. However, what the smokers fail to understand is that the effects are short lived and remain only till the butt remains lighted. Alternatively, many people nonchalantly puff on their cigarettes and pipes because they are bored and highly unoccupied. Yes, smoking pacifies an idle mind but kills the body in the long run!
Curiosity
They’ve seen it in the movies. They’ve seen it on the streets. They’ve probably even seen their own parents’ huff and puff in their college photos! What is the fuss all about? Why does the whole world fancy fumes from burning twigs rolled in paper? It becomes vexing. You too want to experience the pleasure and see what it is like to have smoldering effect inside and all around you. And the rest as they say is history. What starts as an experiment evolves into an almost invincible addiction! Though smoking is prohibited for kids below 18 years in most counties, who in the world cares to follow the rule when there is curiosity to satiate? Flouting these rules gives kids immeasurable thrills which, in turn, traps them and makes smoking a part of their habit.
The Weight Factor
Smoking is known to inhibit appetite. Whether it is psychological or factual, it has been observed that those who abruptly snub the butt put on weight rapidly! Hence, all the weight conscious men and women petrified of gaining excess pounds admonish the mere option of quitting the butt! However, what they fail to realize is when one quits smoking, energy levels shoot up. This gives one the ability to exercise and be in shape. Unfortunately, laziness triumphs and so does smoking!
Complementary
A drinker is much more susceptible to lighting up a cigarette or craving for one after guzzling down two bottles of beer. Alcohol and cigarettes go hand in hand. A drag of a lit cigarette in a state of inebriation is said to be one of the best feelings in the world. As such, for non smokers who are but alcoholics, smoking starts as a complementary activity which later on becomes a habit and an addiction, much more intense than drinking.
Reasons People Smoke
Peer Pressure
They say that there aren’t many people who start smoking after the age of 18. This leaves us with one palpable implication. Peer pressure is indeed a major trap that lures an unfathomable amount of teenagers into the social gaffe that is smoking! Either they light a cigarette just to fit into the cooler crowd or to get noticed. Those with low self-esteem try to renovate their image by adding a cancer stick to their hand. Besides, health is not much of a priority for a teenager, unless he/she plans on making it big as a professional player. Nonetheless, peer pressure doesn’t occur only in schools and colleges, but also in office environments. Many a times, people who had not tried lighting a butt in their early years of life become chain smokers by the time they reach 30, all thanks to the office environment and bad company.
Cure For Stress & Boredom
A cigarette contains over two thousand toxic compounds! According to many, the combination is oh-so-good! It relaxes them, de-stresses them. Almost every smoker heaves a deep sigh of relief along with a large puff of smoke emanating from his/her lips. For some, it calms their nerves, while for others, it pumps up their confidence. The moment we inhale the smoke through our lungs, the nicotine gets absorbed into our bloodstream and reaches our brain in about ten seconds! The positive effects are reduced irritability, enhanced sense of control and improved confidence. However, what the smokers fail to understand is that the effects are short lived and remain only till the butt remains lighted. Alternatively, many people nonchalantly puff on their cigarettes and pipes because they are bored and highly unoccupied. Yes, smoking pacifies an idle mind but kills the body in the long run!
Curiosity
They’ve seen it in the movies. They’ve seen it on the streets. They’ve probably even seen their own parents’ huff and puff in their college photos! What is the fuss all about? Why does the whole world fancy fumes from burning twigs rolled in paper? It becomes vexing. You too want to experience the pleasure and see what it is like to have smoldering effect inside and all around you. And the rest as they say is history. What starts as an experiment evolves into an almost invincible addiction! Though smoking is prohibited for kids below 18 years in most counties, who in the world cares to follow the rule when there is curiosity to satiate? Flouting these rules gives kids immeasurable thrills which, in turn, traps them and makes smoking a part of their habit.
The Weight Factor
Smoking is known to inhibit appetite. Whether it is psychological or factual, it has been observed that those who abruptly snub the butt put on weight rapidly! Hence, all the weight conscious men and women petrified of gaining excess pounds admonish the mere option of quitting the butt! However, what they fail to realize is when one quits smoking, energy levels shoot up. This gives one the ability to exercise and be in shape. Unfortunately, laziness triumphs and so does smoking!
Complementary
A drinker is much more susceptible to lighting up a cigarette or craving for one after guzzling down two bottles of beer. Alcohol and cigarettes go hand in hand. A drag of a lit cigarette in a state of inebriation is said to be one of the best feelings in the world. As such, for non smokers who are but alcoholics, smoking starts as a complementary activity which later on becomes a habit and an addiction, much more intense than drinking.
